Improvement in croquet-mallets



E. A. ROSS.

Croquet Mallets.

Patented March 4, 1873.

AM. PHOTU-LITHOGRAPHIC c0. Mm'osaanuzls Pnacsss.)

UNITED STATES" PATENT Enron EDIVARD A. ROSS, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN CROQUET-MALLETS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 136,388, dated March 4, 1673.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. Boss, of Albany, in the county of Albany and in the State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Croquet-Mallets; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawing making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved croquet-mallet. Fig. 2 is a similar view.

The same letters of reference are employed in both figures in the designation of identical parts.

The nature of my invention consists, first, in elongating one of the ends of the mallethead sufiiciently to enable the player to hit the ball by striking with this elongated end through the wicket or arch, whenever said ball lies in such close proximity to the arch upon the other side as to afford insufficient room for. a good stroke between the two; I also reduce the elongated part of the head in diameter, so that its weight shall be equal, or nearly so, to that upon the other side of the handle. The invention consists, further, in providing a croquet-mallet with a handle so modeled as to possess a considerable degree of elasticity, to enable the player to play with greater certainty and ease, and to lessen the shock of the blows, which are liable to fatigue the arm; and to the end that the mallet may not so easily turn in the hand of the player while in the act of striking, the upper end of the handle is made rough to afford a good hold.

The part A of the head of the mallet is made of the usual length and diameter. The part B is elongated beyond the length of the other end, and it is made tapering from the handle 0 to its end, to equalize the weight of the opposite .ends in such manner that the center of gravity of the head shall lie in adirect line with the axis of the handle, or nearly so. Another object or advantage of this tapering form of the part B is that it may be used in croqueting a ball with less danger of hiting the foot. Instead of using the ordinary straight handle, or one having a uniform taper from end to end, I provide one which by reason of a reduction in diameter at c a short distance from the head, will bend and spring at that point on delivering a blow, thereby relieving the arm of the player while adding to the force of the blow. From the point 0 the handle gradually increases in size in each direction, and its upper portion is made rough,

either by turning concentric grooves in its surface or by fluting it, or by fashioning inequalities upon it in other well-known ways.

I claim as my invention- 1. As a new article of manufacture, a croquet-mallet in which the part B of the mallet head is made longer than the part A, to facilitate the striking of a ball in certain difficult positions, said elongated portion being reduced in size or bulk, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a cro quot-mallet having a handle, 0, which is reduced in diameter, or made flat or thin at c, or thereabout, and made rough at its upper end, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The herein-described croquet-mallet, consisting of a head, the parts A and B of which are unequal in length and diameter, and an elastic handle, 0 c, roughened at its upper end, substantially as specified.

EDWARD A. ROSS.

Witnesses:

O. E. VANZANDT,

H. G. MCCANN. 

